New Getaway Trailer Explains Why Ethan Hawke Must Race For His Life

Getaway sounds an awful lot like Vehicle 19. A protagonist gets into a vehicle and is forced, by an unseen antagonist, to drive through hoops as he races to prevent the death of a loved one. Only no one saw Vehicle 19, despite the promise of Fast & Furious star Paul Walker making grimacing faces behind the wheel of a car. Maybe audiences will prefer Ethan Hawke in a similarly sticky situation?

The second Getaway trailer, posted to our YouTube page, finally focuses on the character of Hawke’s wife – the abduction victim who largely went unseen in the earlier video tease:

But at least we got a lot of great Hawke reaction shots. They are worth their weight in gold. As the new trailer plays out, we learn that Hawke is ordered by the menacing voice on the other end of a cell phone to drive a unique automobile through a series of dangerous exercises, or his wife will be killed. Along the way, he is chased by police, observed by his enemies, and accompanied by a sexy street urchin played by Selena Gomez. Because why not, right?

In this trailer, the “voice” makes it clear that Hawke’s driver needs Gomez’s hoodie-sporting wild card, so her inclusion isn’t quite as random as I originally thought. There’s even a secret reveal about the car, but watch the trailer and find out for yourself. Still, plot twists and character development likely are in short supply as Getaway makes it clear its focus falls squarely on vehicular insanity.

I’d be able to get more excited about Getaway if I knew more about director Courtney Solomon. The Canadian filmmaker’s previous credits include An American Haunting and the 2000 disaster Dungeons & Dragons, so yeah, not the boost of confidence I was looking for. Plus, I’ve seen Vehicle 19, and the premise – similar to that of Getaway is intrinsically limiting.

Will Hawke and Gomez be able to make more out of the plot for Getaway? Find out when the film opens on Aug. 30.